Examples of Participant Experiences from Research Records

Female, age 29

       "I felt very calm and quiet. I noticed that my body became very light after a while. Occasionally I felt a bit of bodily discomfort. When I became light, I felt myself more as a bubble of energy-the discomfort seemed to be connected to blockages in the flow of energy. I felt things become very hazy-there was a bluish substance that danced on the mirror while I watched it. At one point, there was something that appeared to be a face that was going to materialize-it had the feeling-tone of my grandmother associated with it-but it quickly faded. I did see large faces occasionally melt into each other, but nothing very concrete. I remember smelling incense in the psychomanteum."

Female, age 34

       "At one point I had the sense that my friend stood just to the right of the mirror. I had the impression he said something like, "Come on [name of participant]. As if I am going to show up on the mirror!" I found this very funny. This was followed by a strong feeling of love."

Male, age 32

       "While looking in the mirror, on several occasions my vision appeared to be obscured. The mirror completely disappeared from sight a few times. My sight was filled with flowing energy patterns."

Female, age 52

       "I felt disappointment that I didn't feel any sign that communication was established, but then had the feeling that the answers were in ME anyway."

Female, age 53

       "During the stay in the chamber, I was aware of how dark it was; and so regarded with suspicion occasional patterns and colors that manipulated themselves. I figured it was my eyes reacting to the darkness. Purple and green are mostly what I remember-shapes changing and moving around."

      A follow-up comment: "On the night of the day following the session, I had a dream in which I heard in my head what I took to be "celestial" music-along with a unique awareness of my mother. I did not see her, but I hoped (in the dream) that the music was her attempt to communicate with me."

Female, age 29

       "This experience really allowed me to reconnect with my grandfather. I feel that I was also able to see some of his qualities that I really would like to reconnect with myself-such as humor and authenticity."

Female, age 37.

       "I did not sense a contact. The experience enabled me to focus more on how I felt about my uncle, and what his loss means in my life and family."

Female, age 31

       "I prayed that God would let Blu [her cat] manifest if he wanted and then I saw white swirling energy. I felt like this may be Blu trying to show himself. I watched this and then drifted into sleep where I dreamed I was Blu chasing a rabbit. The dream was so vivid I woke up. I spent the rest of the time thinking about this, looking in the mirror, and drifting in and out of sleep. I think I contacted Blu, or question if my own psyche is bringing this forth, or both."

Female, age 40

       "All throughout my vision I saw a soft, shadow of purple light move about and it continued on and on…Out of the blue/purple haze I suddenly smelled a specific healing oil that smells amazing. It only lasted for a few minutes or two, but definitely long enough to know I was smelling it. It was incredibly peaceful."

Female age 32

       "Turning down the light helped me make the transition from outer to inner awareness. At the same time, I felt more expansive and less confined in space. It became clear to me that the continuity I'm seeking has less to do with the physical setting and more to do with the emotional content of my relationships especially with my niece. Next, I sensed I was standing on the edge of the infinite, looking up at the bright stars in a dark sky. This shifted to being on the edge of a blue bowl looking down. It seemed to be a metaphor for my life now. Also, at some earlier time, I noticed a white-blue light coming from the upper right-it was shining down in soft rays throughout the session. I felt progressively more relaxed with heavy limbs and a feeling of contentment."

Male, age 31

       "I entered a very meditative peaceful state in which my eyes would alternate between gazing deeply in the mirror and soft eyes. Close to the end I heard a Schubert piano concerto playing in my head. My dad was a very good pianist and was very capable of playing Schubert. I had an image, or memory, of my father playing his piano like he used to do when I was young. I felt very peaceful the entire 50 minutes."

Male, age 44

       "I had a visual when it was dark in the room like going through a tunnel. Light would come toward me. I would pass through and move on."        "I would talk to Grandpa and invite him to use my voice to reply. During the reply my voice and sensations in my throat would change. He was not a talkative person when I knew him in this life, and was not real talkative today either. But he, in response to my questions, assured me that he was ok, that it was different than he had expected, that I was to follow my path even though he didn't understand some of it, that I should keep in contact with grandma and others."

Male, age 29

       "I saw geometrical shapes that were black and had white borders moving toward and away from me. I started to think about my papa and some of the moments we shared. Mostly images of him smiling. I told him (internally) that I appreciated his kind spirit, gentleness, and good-natured presence. I did this with my hands joined together at the palms, as if I were praying. I was wondering what his hands looked like when I felt what seemed like his hands over mine. It seemed eerie, but that went away and I began playing with what I was experiencing. Afterward I felt at peace with myself and him."

Female, age 27

       "Everything went really still. Every part of my body went still and my jaw dropped open. I tried to close it, but it did not want to stay closed. I just let it go. In this space I was aware, but I was also extremely quiet. Nothing was going on. It felt great to be in the quietness."       I think the message I received was about being still and quiet inside. How many times I do not go to that place and how important it is to go there. I don't know if I have ever really been there.       I was frustrated and annoyed in the beginning, because I could not quiet down my mind chatter. I was also annoyed because I was creating pain in my head and neck. Then I moved to complete fascination and awe of the experience of being quiet."

Female, age 59

       "I was hoping for a visual experience to connect with [her]. For the most part, that did not occur. But the experience of the message was so profound and it was that message that I needed to hear."

Female, age 80

       "Though not as vivid as I wanted, I felt a greater sense of peace than I could have anticipated, and a more valuable "message" than anything half hoped for."

Female, age 48

       "Nothing really happened. I just sat, tried meditating, tried to relax, tried to make it happen, gave up and just sat and spoke to [him].       I relaxed about having to make contact and said out loud, "If anyone wants to come, come on in." Nothing happened and it is OK. I feel calmer about my father's death."

Male, age 60

       "I experienced my father's presence on my right side and behind me. I asked him what he wanted to tell me and did not get a response so I started asking him questions. I was focusing on why he seemed so distant and passionless. He started telling me about his father who had disappeared when he was 11. Only now did he understand that his father still loved him and that he had a distorted view of his father from his mother. He then showed me how this was mirrored in our relationship. He viewed his father as emotional and tried to contain his passion as a result. I saw how this was reflected on both sides in our relationship."

Female, age 62

       "At one point [my daughter] who died at 4 months, SIDS, came through and told me she was fine. "Mom, don't worry about me. I'm just doing what I need to get home."

Female, age 53

       "No sense of time. Feeling of being in equanimity-present, caring, attentive to the space around me. No strong emotions, yet some memories of having felt strong emotions-particularly of deep sobbing, of grief, and sadness. At one point images moved past my line of sight-as if I were in a train moving very fast. An image of a goddess archetype floated through my mind at one point saying something, but it was not understandable. I knew it was soothing."

Female, age 57

       "Briefly, I could feel my mom inside me and telling me that she loves me and misses me. I definitely felt her presence."

Male, age 54:

       "Near the end of the session my mother answered my invitation to speak a few minutes with me by saying, "I'm not ready to see you here. I'm too busy now." Earlier, I briefly saw amorphous clouds and twinkling stars."

Female, age 61

       "We have done what we need to do-my father and I-we don't need to revisit the deathbed scene. We can now be at peace with one another."

 

Among these participants are students, a Christian minister, a Zen practitioner, an electronics technician, therapists, a staff manager, an accountant, and business persons.